PHOENIX — Clarence “Choo Choo” Coleman, one of the original Mets, passed away Monday in Bamberg, S.C., after a lengthy illness, the club announced. He was 80.
A catcher who was selected by the Mets in the 1961 expansion draft, Coleman played 55 games for the club the following year, in its inaugural season, and hit six home runs. The 1962 Mets set a modern record in futility, finishing with 120 losses.
Coleman spent parts of four seasons in the major leagues – three of them with the Mets – and hit .197 with nine homers and 30 RBIs for his career.